Caper (Capparis orientalis Veill.) is a species rich in bioactive compounds, with positive effects on human health. It has a great adaptability to harsh environments and an exceptional ability to extract water from dry soils. In Croatia, the caper grows as a wild plant, and its cultivation is insignificant, which is probably due to propagation difficulties. Micropropagation could be a solution for this. The aim of this study was to investigate the success of the micropropagation, in vitro rooting, and acclimatization of Capparis orientalis Veill. Shoot proliferation was tested in a Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium, with sucrose or glucose, and in 13 treatments, presenting the combined effect of different cytokinins and their concentrations. The success of rooting was examined in relation to the impact of various auxins, durations of rooting, and carry-over effects. A better proliferation was achieved when sucrose was used. The highest number (18) of shoots/explants was obtained in the medium supplemented with 0.6 mg·L⁻¹ meta-topolin, while the rooting was equally efficient in the media supplemented with 2 mg·L⁻¹ of indole-3-acetic acid or indole-3-butyric acid, or in hormone-free rooting medium. A prolonged time in the media increased the rooting efficiency, while the carry-over effect had no influence. The acclimatization rate reached 66%. Additional efforts should be made to find out how to speed upthe rooting and enhance the acclimatization rate of caper grown in Croatia.

Leaf samples of 226 cultivated olive trees were collected from traditionally managed olive orchards and genotyped with eleven consensual SSR markers. The proportion of shared allele distance was used for the estimation of distances between olive genotypes. Cluster analyses were performed using a Fitch–Margoliash least-squares algorithm. The number of different genetic subgroups of olive genotypes (K) was investigated using STRUCTURE analysis. The standardization of allele lengths was performed to enable the comparison SSR profiles of Croatian olive genotypes with olive profiles obtained with the same SSR primers in OleaDB and WOGB databases. Overall, 73 SSR profiles of known Croatian varieties and 53 profiles of unknown olive genotypes were differentiated. Synonyms were detected in 18 varieties, and we found intra-varietal differences in 15 varieties. Three genetic subgroups of olive genotypes were determined. Following allele length standardization achieved using nine referral samples, the genetic profiles of 126 cultivated olive genotypes were compared to OleaDB and WOGB databases, out of which 92 genotypes were found to be unique to Croatian olive germplasm. The results revealed the wide genetic diversity of olive germplasm beyond the known, registered varieties. The FAZ_oliveDB database containing the profiles of 126 Croatian olive genotypes was created and made available for public use.

This article explores the application of biostimulants in organic fruit production, focusing on apples, olives, citrus fruits, and stone fruits. Biostimulants, diverse substances comprising organic and inorganic compounds and microorganisms, play a crucial role in enhancing soil fertility, crop resilience, and pest control in sustainable organic farming. The article highlights the impact of various biostimulants on the growth, yield, and quality of apples. Noteworthy findings include the influence of marine macroalgae on leaf area, chlorophyll content, and fruit coloration. Additionally, biostimulants containing zinc and silicon prove to be effective in reducing physiological disorders during storage. For olives, the positive effects of biostimulants such as amino acids and organic acids on biochemical properties are discussed. Algal extracts and mycorrhizal fungi are explored for their role in enhancing olive resistance to stress conditions and controlling diseases like Verticillium wilt. In citrus fruits, the application of biostimulants mitigates the negative impacts of drought and soil salinity. Algal extracts, chitosan, and seaweed extracts demonstrate positive effects on vegetative growth, fruit set, and physiological activities in citrus plants. Stone fruit production, including peaches and cherries, benefits from biostimulants like humic and fulvic acids, beneficial bacterial strains, and silicon. These biostimulants improve the efficiency of nutrient utilization, increase resistance to diseases, and enhance fruit quality. In conclusion, the review underscores the potential of biostimulants to improve production efficiency, product quality, and plant resistance to abiotic stresses in organic fruit cultivation. However, further research on specific crops, varieties, and optimal application periods is emphasized to maximize biostimulant benefits in diverse agroecological conditions.

Establishment of FADN in Croatia enabled the assessment of the importance of subsidies for the agricultural producer's income. Low and variable farm income has been a main rationale for heavy government intervention in agricultural markets and income transfers to farmers. According to the analysed data subsidies have the greatest importance for the types such as grazing livestock and dairy farms, while the least dependent on subsidies are horticultural crops. The smallest share of the subsidies in gross farm output has the largest holdings (>500,000 EUR) and the smallest (4,000-8,000 EUR), and the largest one has an economic size of 50,000-500,000 EUR.). The share of subsidies in the total output is the same in both the Adriatic and Continental regions and does not depend on the age of the farm holder. Since Croatian farms are heavily dependent on subsidies, and in the light of the announced changes in the new Common Agricultural Policy (2021-2027), it is possible to expect a reduction of gross farm income, where the most vulnerable types are cattle, sheep and goat.

Pistacija (Pistacia vera L.) se smatra jednom od najvažnijih orašastih plodova na svijetu i uzgaja se na pet kontinenata. Ukupna proizvodnja pistacija u svijetu za 2021. godinu iznosila je 915 717,92 t. Glavni proizvođači su Iran, SAD i Turska, s preko 83 % ukupne proizvodnje. Vrsta Pistacia vera L. uzgaja se zbog plodova i zbog toga ima gospodarski značaj dok se ostale vrste kao što su P. integerrima, P. terebinthus, P. atlantica, P. khinjuk, P. palaestine i P. mutica, uzgajaju za podloge. Posljednjih desetljeća podižu se nove plantaže i uzgajivači pistacija svjesni su važnosti odabira podloge i sorte. Izbor podloge važan je aspekt u proizvodnji pistacije buduće da je suša ograničavajući čimbenik u području Mediterana. Vodeće zemlje u uzgoju pistacije preferiraju određene sorte što ovisi o ekološkim čimbenicima za njihov uzgoj kao i o preferencijama tržišta. Proizvodnja sadnica pistacija ne zadovoljava postojeću potražnju zbog teškoća cijepljenja na određene podloge. Širenje nasada pistacija ograničeno je neučinkovitim metodama vegetativnog razmnožavanja.

Cilj istraživanja bio je utvrđivanje protokola za mikropropagaciju kupine sorte ‘Reuben’. Vegetacijski vršci izolirani su aseptično pod stereomikroskopom iz aksilarnih pupova i postavljeni na medij za uspostavljanje kulture (EM). Na mediju za proliferaciju (PM) ispitivan je utjecaj šećera u dvije varijante: s dodanih 30 g L-1 saharoze ili 20 g L-1 glukoze + 10 g L-1 saharoze. Da bi se utvrdila optimalna vrsta i koncentracija citokinina za mikropropagaciju, u drugom pokusu ispitano je 5 tretmana: 6-benzilaminopurin (BAP) u koncentracijama 1 mg L-1 i 0,3 mg L-1, meta-topolin (mT) u jednakim koncentracijama te kao kontrola, medij bez hormona. Zakorjenjivanje in vitro provedeno je u dvije varijante, na mediju s dodanom indolil-3-octenom kiselinom (IAA) u koncentraciji 1 mg L-1 i na mediju bez hormona. Najveći broj izdanaka po eksplantatu (2,6) dobiven je na mediju s 1 mg L-1 BAP-a, ali su oni ujedno bili najkraći. Najdulji izdanci dobiveni su na mediju s 0,3 mg L-1 BAP-a ili mT kao i na mediju bez hormona. Postotak zakorjenjivanja bio je viši (61%) na mediju za zakorjenjivanje bez hormona. Aklimatizacija je bila uspješna i iznosila 92%-95%, ovisno o mediju za zakorjenjivanje.